Power, Victory, and Consequences
by music4evah
Summary: This is my other story for Troubadour12's one shot competition. Obviously, category B. I'm number 2. Enjoy!


**This is my other story for Troubadour12's one-shot competition thing. This is for category B, and I'm number 2. :] Hope you like it!**

Power, Victory, and Consequences

Natalie frowned.

"Mommy," she whined. "That one hurt!"

Isabel Kabra sighed. Again. "Sweety," she said. "It was your fault that you got a knot in your hair. You must pay the consequences."

Natalie huffed, and crossed her arms. Even at 7 years old, she didn't like being bossed around. And she certainly didn't like her mother pulling at her hair in such a painful way. Then her small and adorable face scrunched up in confusion. Her face wasn't quite so adorable anymore.

"Mommy?" Natalie asked cautiously.

Isabel tilted her head. "Yes, dear?"

Natalie bit her lip before asking, "What does conseekences mean?"

Isabel laughed, put down the comb that she had been using to untangle Natalie's hair with, and leaned against the counter. "It's _consequences._ Say it with me: con-se-quen-ces."

Natalie did as she was told. The word sounded good on her tongue. She said it again. "_Consequences._ Mommy, what does it mean?"

Isabel let a small smile cross her face. Who would have known that children could be so cute?

"Consequences," she explained, "Is what happens to you after you make a choice. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are bad. It depends on what you choose. For instance, you decided to get a big knot in your hair," Isabel picked up the comb again, "and now I have to comb it out, whether it's painful to you or not. Tell me, is that a good consequence, or a bad consequence?"

Natalie thought. Then she said, "Bad Consequence?"

Isabel nodded as she attacked Natalie's hair with the comb again. "It is. How on earth did you get your hair so tangled, anyways?"

Natalie fought back a smile. "I beat Jakob at running."

Isabel sighed. "Natalie, I told you, no more horse play with that boy. He's more wild then the knot in your hair!"

Natalie frowned. "But he's my friend!"

"I know, sweetie," Isabel soothed. "He can still be your friend. But I don't want anymore knots in your hair. Are we clear?"

Natalie sighed. "Ok mommy."

- - -

Natalie puffed out her cheeks. She let out her breath. Then she did it again. Why did Polo have to be so boring? It wasn't fair that Ian was getting all of this special attention. He could get their parents to do anything for them. It just wasn't fair. Natalie had to be the most perfect little angel to get what she wanted, and she didn't always feel like doing that.

"Natalie!" called a voice.

Natalie looked around to find the voice, and saw her friend, Jakob, running to her as fast as his little legs could carry him. Natalie giggled. Jakob looked funny. He was covered in mud!

Jakob stopped in front of Natalie, trying to get his breath back. "Nat...Natalie....I found...a mud hole!"

Natalie leaped up. "A mud hole?! I thought those were extinct everywhere but Africa! You _found_ one?"

Jakob nodded eagerly. "Let's go! Hurry!"

Natalie was about to follow him, when she stopped.

Jakob had started running back the way he had come, but then he realized that Natalie wasn't beside him. He turned around. She wasn't running. She was still standing there. Didn't she want to go? What was wrong with her? Jakob hoped Natalie wasn't sick. He ran back to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Natalie bit her lip. "I...I don't think my mum would like it if I got dirty in my new clothes."

Jakob rolled his eyes. "Who cares?"

Natalie stomped her foot. "I _like_ my new clothes. And I don't want to get them dirty."

Jakob stomped his foot too. "But this is a _mud hole!_ We probably won't find another one for the rest of our lives! C'mon!"

Natalie glanced back at where her parents were busy cheering Ian on. She knew her parents would ground her if she went.

Natalie scrunched up her face. What was that word she had learned? It was...Oh! Consequences. What was it about them? There were good ones, and bad ones. If she did something bad, she would get bad consequences. If she was good, she got good consequences. Natalie got an idea.

She smiled. "Sorry, Jakob. I have to stay and watch my brother play Polo. Maybe tomorrow I can get some of my old clothes and-"

Jakob interrupted her. "No. It's now or never, Nat. Are you coming?"

Natalie bit her lip. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But it had to be. She never had bad ideas.

She made her decision. "No, Jakob. Mud holes aren't even that much fun, anyways. What do you even do in them?"

Jakob glared at Natalie, something he had never done before. "You play in them! And you wouldn't know anything about them anyways. You're just a stupid _girl_." Jakob's eyes widened. Had he really just said that?

"N-Natalie," he started to apologize. But Natalie didn't care.

"I'm a _what_?!" she practically screamed. "Is there something wrong with me being a girl?!"

Jakob shook his head. "No! No, it's just...I didn't mean it..."

Natalie fought back tears. "My daddy said that you always mean what you say, or you wouldn't say it."

Jakob gaped at he friend. How had this gone wrong? All he had wanted was to play with Natalie...

Natalie turned and walked away from the boy who she had considered her best friend for so many years. He was no longer that. He was just a boy who Natalie would try to forget.

Natalie sat down beside her mother. Isabel didn't notice.

Jakob stood frozen to the spot for a while, but then he shut his mouth and walked away. He knew he would never play with Natalie again.

Natalie looked up at her mother. "Mommy?" she asked.

Isabel glanced down at her daughter. "Oh, Natalie, did you see Ian? He is a natural! He-"

"Mother," Natalie said.

Isabel stopped. She noticed tears on Natalie cheeks...

"What is it, darling?! Are you hurt?" she asked anxiously.

Natalie shook her head. "If I made a good choice, will I get a good consequence?"

Isabel wasn't sure why her daughter was asking this, but she nodded.

Natalie took a deep breath. "Mommy, I told Jakob that I couldn't go play in the mud hole with him. Was that a good choice?"

Isabel's face lit up. "Thank goodness you didn't go and get your new clothes dirty! Oh, that was a very good choice, pumpkin. Why don't you go get your self a lollipop? Go on darling! Oh, wonderful job, Ian!" Isabel returned her attention to the Polo game.

Natalie sighed and started walking back towards the Kabra's mansion.

"Then why does it feel like a bad one?" Natalie whispered to herself.

- - -

Natalie gazed around silently at the gathered people around her. Most of them were adults, but there were several children. But none of them were worth giving a second glance at.

The party was hardly even worth going to. Natalie didn't know why her parents insisted on coming every Christmas, although Natalie did have some suspicions.

Ian appeared at Natalie's side. "Your turn. They wouldn't give a second glance at me."

Natalie smirked. How ironic. She had just been thinking that a moment ago. "Time to see how it is done," she said as if she were just about to go on a walk outside.

Natalie walked away from Ian slowly, concentrating. Who would be best...? Aha! Perfect. Alistair Oh. He was soft. He would talk to an innocent little girl.

Natalie put on her innocent little girl smile. She would win this. It was just to easy. She didn't know why Ian hadn't chosen him. He wasn't as smart as he let on.

Every year, when the Kabra's came to Grace Cahill's Christmas party, Ian and Natalie played a game to pass the time. The goal was to get an adult to talk to you. They had to converse with you for at least five minutes. They had to give some new information of their own free will. If it wasn't you turn, you couldn't get in the way or distract them. This included no weapons, sadly. And if they revealed a secret, you got bonus points.

Natalie walked up to Alistair Oh. "Mr. Oh!" she said sweetly. Sometimes, it was a wonder that Natalie wasn't a Janus. Not that Natalie wanted to be one.

Alistair turned. "Natalie Kabra! How are you this fine evening?"

Natalie fought back a smile of triumph. So far, she was beating Ian. "I was just looking for someone to talk to."

Alistair smiled. "Well, I see Amy over there, she looks a little lonely," he began.

Natalie cut him off. "No. I mean...Amy doesn't like talking to people...you've seen how nervous she gets. She might throw up on my shoes again."

Alistair nodded. "Ah. I see. Well, there's always-"

"I wanted to talk to you!" Natalie interrupted cheerfully. "Is that alright?" She put a tint of hopefulness in her voice. This would surely get him.

Alistair was surprised. "Of course, Natalie! What do you wish to talk about?"

Natalie pretended to think really hard. Then she acted as if she had just gotten a wonderful idea. "How is your business going? The microwave-able..."

"Burrito!" Alistair finished. He was immediately talking nonstop. "My dear girl, I am so glad you asked! You see, I was just thinking the other day..."

Natalie half listened, nodding and oohing and ahing whenever the need arose.

Five minutes later, Natalie interrupted him. "Wow, Mr. Oh! That is fascinating! But I do think that my brother wants to talk to me. Good bye!"

Alistair nodded. "It was wonderful talking to you, Natalie!"

Natalie smiled her innocent little girl smile again, and walked back to Ian.

"Five minutes," she listed. "New information, as useless as it is, and he absolutely adored talking to me, as I'm sure you saw. _And_ he almost let slip where his Uncle built the Ekat headquarters. But when he caught himself, I pretended that I didn't realize that what he said meant anything of significance."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Alright. You win. But, he didn't really give you the secret, so,"

Natalie cut him off. "Ah, but he almost said it. It starts with a C. Or a K," she added.

Ian sighed. Natalie could be so annoying.

"Shall we tell Mother and Father?" Natalie asked, although she hated leaving the decision to Ian.

Ian nodded. "I will tell them-"

"No!" Natalie hissed. "I get to! I found out."

"I'm oldest." Ian argued. "And you'll probably just get in trouble. Mother and Father will question why you were talking with the Branch Leader's nephew. I, however, have much more experience." And with that, Ian was gone.

Natalie sighed. She had won, yet she had lost. The victory had not quite been hers. Ian had seen to that.

- - -

Isabel Kabra faced her husband. "Vikram?" she asked hesitantly. "Do you think we're pushing Natalie to far?"

Vikram looked up. "What are you talking about?"

Isabel bit her lip. "I . . . I just don't know if I want her devoting her life to finding the clues."

Vikram laughed. "What do you mean, Isabel?" Vikram tried to keep a pleasant smile on his face, but when he saw the serious expression on his wife's face, it slipped away.

Isabel took a big breath. "I just don't know if she'll be ready when the time comes," she explained. "She has a lot of pressure on her. I don't want her to not have a life."

Vikram brushed the statement aside. "Of course she'll be ready! She's not perfect, but our little Natalie has spirit. She will pull through. And she can have a life. Besides, Ian will be there to help her."

Isabel shook her head. "I don't think she wants that. Natalie doesn't always get along with Ian."

Vikram shrugged. "It will give them some bonding time!"

Isabel raised an eyebrow.

Vikram sighed. "Look, Isabel. I know you're a little paranoid about whether you've been a good mother or not."

Isabel started to protest, but Vikram put up a hand to stop her. "Isabel. You are a good mother. You're doing fine. And Natalie will have the strength to find the clues. I know she is a little power hungry, but who isn't? I'm sure she can do everything and more that we've ever hoped for."

"But can she do what she hopes for?" Isabel demanded.

Vikram sat back in surprise. "What?"

"I know she wants to be the branch leader someday. Vikram, your words are somewhat comforting, but I still have another concern."

Vikram furrowed his brow. "About her wanting to be the Lucian branch leader?"

Isabel shook her head. "Not quite. Just yesterday, I...I came upon Natalie in her room. She was...crying."

Vikram frowned. "When exactly?" he asked.

Isabel bit her lip. "After the Polo match. After we had gone back inside, I had left to check on Natalie. She hadn't come back after she left."

"She left?"

Isabel nodded. "I told her to go get a lollipop."

Vikram stared at his wife.

"What? She told me that she had made a good choice. Just the other day we had talked about good and bad choices and the consequences that follow. She told me that she had refused Jakob's offer to play in a mud hole so that she didn't ruin her clothes. So I told her to get a lollipop."

Vikram thought. "Maybe there weren't any lollipops, and so she was crying because of that."

Isabel shook her head. "No. I checked that. There were plenty. But I don't think she took one. There wasn't one in her room. And...I heard her say..." Isabel hesitated. Vikram urged her on with a motion of his hand.

"She said..." she began again. "'Stupid girl, huh? Well, I'll show you, Jakob. Just wait until I get the 39 clues. Then you'll be sorry. And I won't even get a speck of dust on my new clothes. That'll show you. I'll wear new clothes everyday if I have to, just to prove it.' Then she went back to sobbing." Now tears were sliding down Isabel's cheeks.

Vikram stood up and walked around his desk to comfort his wife. "There, there, honey. Our Natalie will be just fine. Let her do what she wants. She needs to be independent. All we can do is urge her in the right direction."

Isabel sobbed into her husband's chest. "But what if there is none?"

- - -

**So sad! But I like it. I think I did a good job. And it explains a lot, doesn't it? At first I wasn't sure what to write. I knew that I wanted to do something with Natalie, maybe the greatest moment in her life or something. But I couldn't get any inspiration. And then I came up with this. Interesting how that happened, huh?**

**And just to avoid confusion; The first part was when Natalie was 7. The second was the next day. The third was 3 years later, at Grace's annual Christmas party. The last one was the same day as the second. I know, weird, and I'm sorry if it's harder to comprehend that way.**

**But any-hoo, tell me what you think! :)**


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